Substitution VERY LONG WAS Re: SC - Alternate spicing

[CBlackwill at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/20/00 11:49:25 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
betpulib at ptdprolog.net writes:

> That will probably spark some debate on the ol' list, but it's the way I see
>  the issue ( and yes, I'm always this verbose---sorry!).
>  

Interesting and enlightening.  I am having a hard time placing myself on this 
list.  On the one hand, I would love nothing more than to stoke the fires, 
make the cheese, burp and scratch myself in the feast hall, but on the other 
hand, I firmly believe that medieval cooks readily substituted what they 
couldn't find with what they had on hand.  The idea of discarding an 
otherwise delicious and appropriate recipe on the simple basis of not being 
able to obtain one ingredient is, somehow, appaling to me.  I cannot, in my 
wildest imaginings, believe that this was ever done in medieval times.
Even more so, I cannot grasp the concept that, after having dedicated so much 
time and energy into the (very impressive) research of medieval cooking, 
certain cooks on this list are satisfied with stopping at the written word.  
Extrapolation and deduction are the rewards of a lifetime of scholarly 
research.  I do understand that certain people are, for the sake of absolute 
(and admirable) authenticity, unwilling to make these assumptions for fear of 
heading down the wrong path, or producing a recipe with a hint of cinnamon 
which does not belong.  But the book and volume of human experience tells us, 
with crystal clarity, that such assumptions were made.  Modern cooking styles 
evolved from same.  
    I guess what my entire rant boils down to is this:  Am I going to be 
chided and guffawed if, during my A&S entry, It is noticed that I substituted 
Mace for Nutmeg, or prepared a "classic" dish with pork instead of beef?  Am 
I going to be denied my Laurel, my Pelican, my Albatross or what have you?  
If so, then this is unfair, because it is apparent that these kinds of 
substitutions are, indeed, "period".  There are too many definitions of the 
term for a fair and objective evaluation of my efforts.  And rest assured 
that mine will be a valiant effort, with freshly made cheeses, hand made 
breads, and so on.  Are my labors going to be wasted because one or more of 
my "judges" has a different deffinition of "period"?  
    In actuality, I care little for SCA awards, and have no real desire to 
attain one, but this does illustrate my point.

Balthazar of Blackmoor
(who is curious to know where other cooks on this list would place him on 
Aoife's top ten, based on his posting history...)
  
Such a strange fascination, as I wallow in waste
That such a trivial victory could put a smile on your face.
                                        - Mark Burgess